Movable platform amusement device for a child

ABSTRACT

A rod attached near its center to a member having a varying radial dimension is mounted beneath a child&#39;&#39;s enclosure which has a raised movable bottom spring frame or platform. A handle is attached to the bar enabling a child in the enclosure to rotate the bar, and the rotation of the bar urges the member against the bottom of the platform whereby the platform is deflected upward. The degree of motion of the platform is controlled by the amount of rotation imparted to the bar by the child using the handle.

United States Patent [1 1 Walker MOVABLE PLATFORM AMUSEMENT DEVICE FOR A CHILD [76] Inventor: Jeff B. Walker, 131 Berkley Rd.,

Indianapolis, Ind. 46208 221 Filed: Jan. 21, 1974 21 Appl. No.: 434,864

[52] US. Cl 272/1 R; 5/108; 297/260 [51] Int. Cl. A63g 31/02; A47d 9/02 [58] Field of Search 272/1 R, 79 R; 248/157,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 511,069 12/1893 Brown 124/39 X 2,766,464 10/1956 Savi 2,891,784 6/1959 Taylor "I: ..74/52s ux May 27, 1975 3,761,969 10/1973 Meade 5/108 Primary Examiner-Richard C. Pinkham Assistant Examiner-R. T. Stouffer Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Woodard, Weikart, Emhardt & Naughton [5 7] ABSTRACT A rod attached near its center to a member having a varying radial dimension is mounted beneath a childs enclosure which has a raised movable bottom spring frame or platform. A handle is attached to the bar enabling a child in the enclosure to rotate the bar, and the rotation of the bar urges the member against the bottom of the platform whereby the platform is deflected upward. The degree of motion of the platform is controlled by the amount of rotation imparted to the bar by the child using the handle.

5 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures MOVABLE PLATFORM AMUSEMENT DEVIC FOR A CHILD BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The invention is in the field of amusement devices for a childs enclosure.

2. Description of the Prior Art Many devices to amuse a child are known which entail attaching or suspending a play object above the bed or crib of the child. One such device is shown in US. Pat. No. 3,638,602 to Carreno.

An inflated amusement device for playpens is disclosed in US. Pat. No. 3,165,759 to ODaniell.

A device has not heretofore been presented which would allow a child to generate desired irregular vertical movement of the mattress and supporting platform or frame of the childs bed or crib. Devices for vertical adjustment of crib mattresses are, of course, well known. An example of this type of adjustment device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,685,207 to Robbins.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention is an amusement device for a child comprising a rod mountable below a childs enclosure which has a raised movable bottom platform, a platform-deflecting member rigidly attached to the rod and having a varying radial dimension measured from the axis of the rod, and a handle rigidly attached to the rod and extending beyond the platform-deflectingmember. 7

It is an object of the present invention to provide an amusement device for a childs enclosure which has a raised movable bottom platform where by the platform is deflected upwardly in an irregular manner due to the action of achild in the enclosure.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention shall become apparent from the accompanying figures and detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a childs bed embodying the present invention, wherein a side of the bed frame, the mattress, and most of the mattress platform have been removed. I

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 showing the mattress and mattress platform in a partially raised position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, such alterations and further modificationsin the illustrated device, and such further applications of the principles of omitted in FIG. 1 for clarity. The bed is supported by four posts such as 19, which attach the side boards to the head and foot boards.

Bed 11 includes platform 16 which has four extending guide pins such as 23 engaged in slots such as 22. The cooperation of slots 22 and pins 23 enables the motion of the platform to be essentially vertical and prevents tipping of the platform. Guide pins 23 are supported in the bottoms of slots 22, and platform 16 also rests on support rails such as 32 on the head board 17 and foot boardv 18. Platform 16 is solid but may comprise an outer frame having a webbed center portion made of a material such as steel.

Attached between head board 17 and foot board 18, extending beneath platform 16, is rod 12. Rod 12 has rigidly attached to its center portion a half cylinder 13. Each end of rod 12 is mounted in a hole such as 27 in the head board 17 and foot board 18. The holes such as 27 provide means for adjusting the elevation of rod 12. Rod 12 includes portion 26 which is received within a hollowed out portion beginning at 24 of rod 12. Portion 26 is retained within rod 12 by any conventional interlocking arrangement while being free to be forced a short distance into rod 12 against the opposition of a heavy spring. Therefore, portion 26 may be forced into the main portion of rod 12 a short distance allowing the rod to be inserted into the holes such as 27 in head board 17 and foot board 18, after which the spring force will hold it in place until portion 26 is again forced into the main portion of rod 12.

Bracing legs such as 21 are provided behind the rows of holes such as 27 in order to provide support for bar 12. If head board 17 and foot board 18 are constructed from materials sufficiently strong to support rod 12 in operation, the bracing legs 21 may be omitted.

Rigidly attached to rod 12 is handle 14, which extends radially outward from rod 12. The end of handle 14 is available to be turned in the direction of arrow 28 by a child on the mattress in bed 11, whereby member 13 will rotate on rod 12 contacting the bottom of platform 16, and moving platform 16 and mattress 31 in a vertical direction as shown in FIG. 2. The orientations of handle 14 and member 13 relative to one another may be adjusted for desired elevation of mattress 31 when handle 14 is rotated.

As shown in FIG. 2, mattress 31 and platform 16 are balanced on member 13, but a child on mattress 31' near the head board 17 might tilt mattress 31 and platform 16 downward at the head board end of the bed 1 1 It can be seen that as a child turns handle 14 in the direction of arrow 28 (FIG. 1), a wider and wider portion of member 13 is interposed between rod 12 and platform 16, thereby raising mattress 31, frame 16 and a child on the mattress higher above the floor. A child on mattress 31 can therefore raise and lower the mattress and platform at a speed and in a manner he desires.

It can be seen that an amusement device for a childs enclosure which has a raised movable bottom platform has been provided whereby the platform may be deflected upwardly in an irregular manner through the ac- .tion of a child in the enclosure.

While there have been described above the principles 3 1. An amusement device for a child comprising: a rod, mountable below a childs enclosure which has a raised movable bottom platform;

a platform-deflecting member rigidly attached to the rod and having a varying radial dimension measured from theaxis of the rod;

a handle rigidly attached to the rod and extending beyond the platform-deflecting member; and

' a childs enclosure which has a raised movable bot- 4 contact with the platform. 2. The device of claim 1 in which the rod is rotatably mounted to opposite ends of the enclosure and is oriented in ,a plane essentially parallel to the plane of the platform when the platform is not contacted by the platform-deflecting member.

3. The device of claim 2 which further comprises first means for adjusting the elevation of the rod.

4. The device of claim 3 in which the rod has a circular cross-section and the platform-deflecting member has a semi-circular cross-section.

5. The device of claim 4 in which the handle has a length which is greater than the thickness of the mattress and the platform. 

1. An amusement device for a child comprising: a rod, mountable below a child''s enclosure which has a raised movable bottom platform; a platform-deflecting member rigidly attached to the rod and having a varying radial dimension measured from the axis of the rod; a handle rigidly attached to the rod and extending beyond the platform-deflecting member; and a child''s enclosure which has a raised movable bottom platform, the rod being rotatably mounted belOw the platform, and wherein the platform-deflecting member is sized to contact the platform when the rod is rotated, whereby the platform is deflected upwardly a distance dependent upon the radial dimension of the member at its point of contact with the platform.
 2. The device of claim 1 in which the rod is rotatably mounted to opposite ends of the enclosure and is oriented in a plane essentially parallel to the plane of the platform when the platform is not contacted by the platform-deflecting member.
 3. The device of claim 2 which further comprises first means for adjusting the elevation of the rod.
 4. The device of claim 3 in which the rod has a circular cross-section and the platform-deflecting member has a semi-circular cross-section.
 5. The device of claim 4 in which the handle has a length which is greater than the thickness of the mattress and the platform. 